Firing mechanism of guns.



ANo. 824,130. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906. l

J. F. MBIGS du H. G. JAKOBSSON. FIRING MEGHANISM OP GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1905.

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' No. 824,130. PATBNTBD JUNE 26, 1906. 7 J. F. MBIGS & H. G. JAKOBSSON.FIRING MEGHANISM 0F GUNS.

APP'LIUATION FILED JULY 12, 1905.

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@9th/awo No. 824,130. PATENTD JUNE 26, 1906. J. P. MEIGS &H. G.JAKOBSSON. FIRING MEGHANISM 0F GUNS.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 12, 190s.

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JOHN/E MEIGS AND HERMAN G. JAKOBSSON, OE SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOES To BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA,A OOEPOEATION OE PENNSYL.

VANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

Application filed July 12,1905. Serial No. 269,351.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that we, JOHN F. MEIGS, a citizen of the United States, andHERMAN G. JAKOBSSON, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway,residing at South Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State ofPennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements'in theFiring Mechanism of Guns, of which the following is a specification.

Our'invention relates to firing mechanism of guns and to means wherebythe firing-head may be retracted by the use of a rotatable cam oflimited length and whereby to prevent 'the forward movement of thefiringhead except when the parts are in firing position, las fully setforth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the breech of a gun andadjuncts suflicient to illustrate our invention; Fig. 2, a rear view;Fig. 3, a section of the operating-cam detached, this section being atright angles to that in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a plan of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a sideview of the sleeve of the firing-head detached; Fig. 6, an'end view ofFig. 5.

The firing mechanism is of that class in which a positively-drivenretracting device,

a'sa lcam A, is the means of carrying back the firingihead B against thestress of a spring 15, the'head, as shown, being mounted to slide andturnl in the hub C of the carrier D, which is hingedto the breech of thegun, as usual. The Ahub-"Ilias a threaded projection 2, on which turnsthe breech-block E of usual character, the firing-head turning with theblock from the projection of wings 3 3 from the 'sleeve of therring-head4 into longitudinal grooves 5 5 of the breech-block.

The firing-headf'has the usual firingin F, the shank 6 of which extendsthroug the sleeve and, as shown, is insulated therefrom for electricfiring.l From the sleeve 4 extend two wings 7 8, the endsv of which bearon inclined cam-faces 9 9 at the inside of the cylin der 10 of the camA, said faces starting from opposite sides of the cylinder at the samedistance from the forward end thereof and extending spirally backwardparallel to /each other and each making a complete rotation. Eachcam-face starts from one of two longitudinal grooves 12 13 in the innerface of the cam-cylinder, and the grooves intersect the said cam-faces,so that the firing-head may be set in the cam, with the ends of itswings 7 8 at the starting-points of the cam-faces, and when the cam isturned the said cam-faces bearing ons aid wings will carry back thefiring-head. I

To secure the proper extent of backward movement without an, abruptincline, it is necessary for each cam-face to extend completely roundthe inner face of the cam-cylinder, and it will therefore cross thegroove 12 or 13, and the wings 7 8 as the cam A revolves half a rotationare therefore then both brought simultaneously opposite Said grooves,and the firing-head could move forward were it not that the grooves 1213 and wings 7 8 are of different widths, so that when the cam hasrotated half a rotation the wide wing 8 will cross the narrow groove 13,and the rotation of the cam must be completed before the grooves are inposition tO- allow the firinghead to be thrown forward bythe spring 15.

By the above-described arrangement both wings 7 8 are in the sametransverse plane, and it is not required to extend one spiral camfaceback farther than the other, as is needed when one wing is farther fromthe end of the filing-head than' the other, and consequently the depthof the cam (in a longitudinal direction) and of the recessed hub toreceive it may be greatly reduced.

The cam may be turned in any suitable manner, as by a shaft carrying abevel-gear engaging a ring-gear onthe cam, saidshaft being turned in anysuitable manner from a band-Wheel 16 outside the gun. If before openingthe breech the iiring-cam is accidentally or improperly turned for apart of a full rotation-say three hundred and forty degreescarrying thefiring-head partially back, the rotation of the breech-block on openingthe breech will complete the rotation of the firing-head in respect tothe cam, carrying the wings 7 8 opposite the grooves 12 13, and thefiring-head will bereleased and projected forward and will explode thecharge if one should be in the gun. To

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prevent this, we provide a firing-head with a non-rotating part (shownon the carrierhub) are placed two curved ribs or rojections 18 and 19,so situated that they will not interfere with the full play of thefiring-head when the parts are in proper position. When, however, thefiring-head is turned by the rotation of the breech-block to an extentbeyond the normal, the ends of the cross-bar as the firing-head turnsand moves back will be carried to position above said ribs, and when thefiring-head is released these ribs will prevent it from passing forwardto firing position.

The projections or ribs 18 and 19 may be cam projections withv the sameinclination. as the cams 9, or they may be made steeper with abruptfaces a: more inclined than those of the cams 9'. In the latter case thecross-bar H will ride on ribs 18 and 19, but the wings 7 and 8 will beeither lifted from the cams 9, if the grooves behind are wide enough, orthe wings will cause the firing-cam A to turn with them, but not at sogreat a speed, if there is no play in these grooves. When, therefore,the breech-block is turned in closing the breech, the cross-bar willride down these faces until its wings 7 and 8 are brought slowly ontothe cam-faces of the cam A or into firing position, so that thefiring-pin cannot strike the cartridge until the breechblock is fullyhome. There are therefore two distinct movements of the firing-head:

First. Its straight rearward movement without turning, causedv by therevolving of the cam A when firing. The cross-bar H consequently keepsits horizontal position in running out.

Second. The turning movement imparted to the firing-head when operatingthe block, and subsequently forcing the wings 7 and 8 and cross-bar H torun up the slopes. The cross-bar in this case turns to a certain angleofi1 from the horizontal position.

We do not here claim any features shown herein and also shown andclaimed in our application Serial No. 243,552.

Without limiting ourselves to the construction shown, we claim- 1. Thecombination with a firing-head having lateral arms, of a rotatable camhaving spiral faces engaged by said arms, and each making a completerotation, and longitudinal grooves intersecting said faces, the saidgrooves and arms relatively proportioned to permit the forward passageof the arms only when opposite the grooves at their rear ends,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with. a firing-head having lateral arms of differentwidths, of a rotatable cam-cylinder having spiral camfaces, andlongitudinal grooves of different widths, intersecting said faces, andarranged to permit the forward passage of the arms only when the partsare in firing position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the firing-head of a gun having arms extendinglaterally therefrom in the same plane and of different widths, of arotating cam having spiral camfaces, and longitudinal grooves from whichsaid spiral faces start at the forward end and at which they terminateat the rear end, said grooves of different widths corresponding to thewidths of the said arms, substantially as set forth.

4r.. The combination with the carrier, breech-block, firing-head, meansfor turning and cam for retracting the firing-head, of a cross-bar atthe rear of the firing-head, and projections upon the carrier at therear thereof arranged to limit the forward Inovement of the cross-barand firing-head after the latter has been turned from firing position,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the carrier, breech-block, firing-head, meansfor turning and cam for retracting the firing-head, of a cross-bar onthe firing-head at the rear of the carrier, and projections on thecarrier at the rear having inclined ends arranged to carry back thefiring-head and to limit the forward movement of the cross-bar andfiring-head after the latter has been turned from firing position,substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the sliding firinghcad having lateral arms, arotatable cam with faces for engaging said arms and retracting saidhead, and with grooves adapted to be traversed. by the arms on movingforward, of a cross-bar at the rear end of the firing-head, andprojections arranged to limit the forward movement of the cross-bar andfiring-head when the latter has been turned from firing position,substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the sliding firinghead having lateral arms, arotatable cam with faces for engaging said arms and retracting saidhead, and with grooves adapted to be traversed by the arms on movingforward, of a cross-bar at the rear end of the firing-head, andprojections having inclined ends arranged to carry back the firing-headand to limit the forward movement of the cross-bar and firing-head whenthe latter has been turned from firing position, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

EDWIN A. MILLER, CHAs. H. CHEMBERLIN.

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